


like no one ever was

by redlight



Series: a challenger appears! [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters: HeartGold & SoulSilver | Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver Versions, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pokemon Fusion, Criminal Keith, Crushes, Fluff, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance is Cute, Lance nicknames his pokemon, M/M, Oblivious Lance (Voltron), One-Sided Attraction, Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pokemon AU, Pokemon Journey, Pre-Slash, Rivalry, Team Rocket - Freeform, Team Rocket Grunt Keith, Trainer Lance, and she'll mess you up if you hurt her son, i'm having so much fun with this au, im having the time of my life with this omg, the blue lion is a snorlax
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-11-20 13:00:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11336055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redlight/pseuds/redlight
Summary: So, yeah, Keith ends up flat on his back on the grassy, rough ground, with a lapful of Lance McClain. Who now has a Totodile perched on his shoulder, gnawing at his messy, twig-ridden brown hair.“You!” Lance yelps out, poking a finger into Keith’s chest. “I’m gonna beat you this time –mmph!” Keith smacks his gloved hand over Lance’s mouth.“Don’t scream,” Keith says sternly. “There’s sleeping Zubat in the trees. Don’t wanna wake them up.”In which Keith is part of Team Rocket and is pretty sure Lance's Snorlax will crush him if he ever breaks Lance's heart. Meanwhile, Lance completely and wholeheartedly thinks they're rivals, and does not understand personal space.





	like no one ever was

“Hey! Hey, _rival_!”

Keith huffs under his breath, as he finally manages to tear his foot from the tangle of vines on the ground. For Lugia’s sake, he _just_ managed to rake up enough battle money to buy enough supplies to heal all his Pokemon for a long time to come – as if he’d _ever_ be allowed into a Pokemon Center. He’d had to visit the shady shops, too – the low-lit, darkened little houses and markets with the revival herbs, energy powders, the kind of stuff that usually gets banned by the League.

So, really, Keith is _not_ in a good mood when he sees Lance – _Lance_ , who claims to be Keith’s _rival_ , Lance with the pretty blue eyes, Lance who doesn’t know the definition of _shut the fuck up_ – bounding up after him, that crybaby Totodile in his arms and his stupid dumb _Snorlax_ following after him.

Keith swears that that Snorlax is much, much bigger than it should be. It’s also _fast as hell_ , and Lance keeps it outside its pokeball all the time. _All the time_. Only when Lance has to enter public buildings does he make Snorlax go back in its ball. So Lance is constantly accompanied by a giant, feisty feline that constantly glares at Keith with its tiny, beady black eyes, shining with the desire to _flatten Keith’s body like a pancake_.

Lance never notices it, ‘cause whenever he looks up, the Snorlax is back to beaming dumbly and innocently, with its eyes closed, and Lance just coos, “ _Aw, good girl, Blue_!” Only for Blue to start glowering at Keith again as soon as Lance’s back is turned.

Lance’s Snorlax is _terrifying_.

At least its heavy steps serve as an adequate warning for whenever Lance shows up.

“Keith!”

Keith swears under his breath, tries to slink into the surrounding overgrowth of trees and bushes – but Lance is _on him_ , before Keith can run, tripping over the branches and vines on the ground and knocking Keith down in the process.

Yeah, so that’s how Keith ends up flat on his back on the grassy, rough ground, with a lapful of Lance McClain. Who now has a Totodile perched on his shoulder, gnawing at his messy, twig-ridden brown hair.

“You!” Lance yelps out, poking a finger into Keith’s chest. “I’m gonna beat you this time – _mmph_!” Keith smacks his gloved hand over Lance’s mouth.

“Don’t scream,” Keith says sternly. “There’s sleeping Zubat in the trees. Don’t wanna wake them up.”

Lance huffs, warm breath puffing into Keith’s hand – makes Keith pause for a second – but then Lance is shoving his hand away, sitting up, a warm weight on Keith’s thighs.

...Which is, okay, not really what Keith was expecting to happen today.

Fortunately, before Keith’s cheeks go too hot and his heart picks up too fast, Lance is getting to his feet and brushing grass and twigs off his clothes and out of his hair. “You,” Lance says, more quietly, pretty mouth twisted into a scowl. “Are gonna battle me! And I’m gonna win, this time.”

Keith rolls his eyes. Of course, _that’s_ what Lance is focused on. Unlike Lance, Keith stays on the ground, pulls his legs into a cross-legged position. “ _Really_?” he scoffs. “Without even evolving that weak little reptile of yours?”

Lance’s cheeks flush with anger. “ _Hey_!” Taking the Totodile off his shoulder, he gives it a tight hug, glaring at Keith over the top of the Pokemon’s head. The Totodile’s eyes are already watering, the weak little crybaby. “Don’t listen to him, Franny. He’s just a bitter, m-mean – ” Lance falters for a second, flustered. “Mean Champion _wannabe_!”

“I’m just saying,” Keith mumbles. “You're not gonna get anywhere with a first stage starter.”

“Apologize to Francesca,” Lance says stubbornly.

Keith blinks. “What?”

Lance glares at him. Lance – well, Lance doesn't really have the face to pull off an intimidating, angry expression. His blue eyes shine too much, and his bottom lip sticks out in what Keith _definitely_ shouldn't call a pout ‘cause Keith would _definitely_ get an Ice Fang to the face for it. His face is too soft for a real good, scary glare, though – and matched with the comically ruffled hair and long-as-forever eyelashes, well, it mostly just looks _cute_.

“Say, ‘I’m sorry for being a _huge dick_ , Francesca,’ and then beg for forgiveness, on your knees,” Lance snaps. “Look at that, you're already on the ground! Makes it easier for you, huh?”

Wherever Lance is cute, though, there is also a seven-and-a-half-foot-tall Snorlax standing right behind him, about to _snarl_ at Keith.

Keith sighs and gets to his feet. Lance may be, well, _Lance_ , but it's not like Keith actually wants to _really_ make him (or his Snorlax) angry. “I’m sorry, Francesca.”

When Keith doesn't make to do any more than that, Lance bristles, but lets it go. The Totodile – _Francesca_ , ugh, Lance’s affinity for naming Pokemon is just _awkward_ for Keith, okay? – beams up at Keith. Its smile is way too happy; for all the sharp teeth, _Franny_ is way too soft. Lance gives the Pokemon a kiss on the top of its scaly head, lets it hop down onto the ground.

Then Lance puts his hands on his skinny hips, fixes Keith with a challenging look. “Fight me!”

“You're just gonna lose again,” Keith deadpans.

“Not this time, rival!” Lance smirks, a little sleazy, a little insufferable – but soon his expression turns into a genuine, excited grin. “We’ve got a _new_ addition to our team! Well,” he pauses, biting at his lip for a second in a brief hint of nervousness. “Well, I just evolved one of them, he’s not _new_ , but – ”

“ _Lance_ ,” Keith interrupts. “Listen, I’d love to do this another time, but – ” But he’s got to report back to an Executive in half an hour, just to explain his utter _failure_ at procuring any useful Pokemon. Keith has a sleeping Zubat, that he _caught_ , and – that's essentially _worthless_.

Gonna be fun explaining _that_ one.

“But I really have to get to a Pokemon Center,” Keith finishes.

It’s a lie – Keith has _supplies_ , and his Arcanine and Sneasel aren’t doing so bad. Heck, Arcanine can blast through Lance’s team at half-health. It wouldn’t even _take_ _long_. He could make his meeting and still crush Lance’s spirits for the day – only for the day, though, ‘cause Lance is always _back_ for another time, another fight, another encounter with his _rival_.

Lance fully accepts the excuse, though. His eyes light up, his mouth shifts into an expression of pure concern, and it makes Keith feel _slimy_ for the lie. “Oh! I mean, I have some potions you can use – ”

“It's _fine_ , Lance,” Keith says gruffly. At the way Lance’s face falls, he adds a little more gently, “Thanks for offering, though.”

“Yeah,” Lance says quietly. The absolute quietest he's been so far. He brightens up again – seems a bit forced, but Keith – Keith doesn't know how to take that. “I’ll – I’ll give you a potion or two anyway. It’s no trouble! Here – ”

Franny the Totodile had already been rifling through Lance’s backpack as soon as he mentioned _potions_ , and it promptly chucks one at Keith’s feet.

Keith snorts. The crybaby has _sass_.

“Thanks,” he murmurs. “Thank you,” as he reaches down to take the potion.

Lance hums, lifts Totodile – _Franny_ back into his arms, turns around to face Snorlax – _Blue_. He tosses a look back at Keith, bright and cheery and so _non-confrontational_ , a sharp contrast to the Lance from - what, ten minutes ago? – who’d been demanding Keith for a fight. “Anyway! We’re off to Goldenrod City! _See ya later, samurai!_ ”

He gives Keith this heart-stopping little wink, and then he’s careening off into the direction he came from, monstrous feline at his side and tiny reptilian back on his shoulder.

Keith blinks, puts the potion in his own bag. He does _not_ watch Lance walk away, because that would be weird, and creepy. He heads deeper into the forest, thumbing at Arcanine’s pokeball and desperately trying to forget the feel of Lance in his lap and blue eyes flashing in concern, or irritation, or excitement – or _anything_.

Keith looks up at a tree, with barely any slivers of sunlight shining through the thick brush of its leaves. If he looks closely, he can see upside-down blue bodies and dozens of pairs of velvety violet wings.

Well, he already has one sleeping Zubat. A ton is better than none, right?

**Author's Note:**

> so i was watching the first season of pokemon on netflix today, and then this happened.
> 
> Some footnotes!
> 
> 1\. Keith is lowkey based off of Silver, the rival in GSC/HGSS. I love Silver, okay?  
> 2\. For that matter, this AU takes place in Johto sometime during HGSS. Team Rocket hasn't been disbanded yet.  
> 3\. Snorlax is the Blue Lion, Arcanine is the Red Lion.  
> 4\. Totodile is MY FAVORITE STARTER.
> 
> this is gonna be a series!! i have plans for pidge, hunk, and shiro to show up, and lance and keith are actually gonna battle at some point! i'm having too much fun with this lol stay tuned


End file.
